I used to work at Apple's Genius Bar, these are the AirPods Black Friday deals to buy – and not the models I had to regularly fix by cleaning out ear wax

This is the cheapest that these buds have ever been. They sound excellent, the noise cancellation is top tier, Dolby Atmos spatial audio is amazing for movies, and they even have an unloseable case, thanks to tech that literally points you to where it's hiding (and a speaker to help, too). The best bit about AirPods Pro 2, is that the silicone tips prevent the disgusting ear wax build-up that has haunted my nightmares for the last decade. I'd always recommend these over regular AirPods, as they are less likely to clog up, and so are less likely to suffer audio issues.

This is basically the cheapest AirPods Max have ever been (they may have been literally a couple of bucks cheaper, but not enough to make a real difference). This deal is on the older Lightning version rather than the newer USB-C one (though the charging port is the only change). You'll get their natural and highly detailed sound, excellent spatial audio, and smart Apple-friendly features for a very strong price.

I suspect Apple's all-new AirPods 4 will be a hot item at this year's Black Friday sale, and you can already grab a first-time discount at Amazon. The AirPods 4 feature a new design for all-day comfort, and pack Apple's H2 chip, which supports Personalized Spatial Audio and voice isolation. You're also getting a redesigned case with 30 hours of battery life and supports USB-C for wireless charging. These are the version without active noise cancellation (and some other extra features). While it's too soon to tell if the AirPods 4 could clog up with human bodily fluid, the design has enough of a recess to potentially cause issues down the line. I would opt for AirPods Pro instead, but as long as you clean these regularly you should be alright.

If you want Apple's open-ear fit (without the in-ear tip) but with active noise cancellation to make it easier to hear your music, these are the buds for you. They also have spatial audio, Find My in the case (including a speaker), and wireless charging. They sound very fun, too, with a full sound. This is the first discount we've seen on them, basically. We'd suggest most people should pay the little extra for the AirPods Pro, but if you don't like that kind of in-ear fit, these will work nicely.

This is a return to the lowest price we've ever seen AirPods Pro 2 for in the UK. These are the best-selling earbuds on the planet, thanks to their superb sound quality, top-tier noise cancellation, excellent spatial audio, auto-switching between different Apple devices, gesture control and more. This is available at lots of retailers, but John Lewis is throwing in 3 months of Apple Music for free, so I'd recommend getting that extra bonus.

Also at: Amazon for £179

This is the cheapest these have been in quite some time – they fell to £399 a couple of years ago, so £429 for Apple's highest-quality headphones is not bad at all. You get super-detailed and balanced sound, Personalized Spatial Audio, excellent noise cancellation, auto-switching between Apple devices, and all the other AirPods features you expect. This deal is on the Lightning model, not the newer USB-C one (but there's no difference in other features), and there are only a few colors left… but they include green, which is The Best One.

These are very new, so any discount on them is good – though I'm hoping we'll see another £10 dropped from the price later in Black Friday. The AirPods 4 feature a new design for all-day comfort, and pack Apple's H2 chip, which supports Personalized Spatial Audio and voice isolation. You're also getting a redesigned case with 30 hours of battery life and supports USB-C for wireless charging. This version doesn't include noise cancellation, wireless charging or the Find My speaker in the case.

If you want Apple's open-ear design that doesn't go right into your ear canals, but you still want active noise cancellation to make it easier to hear your music, these are the buds for you. They also have spatial audio, Find My in the case (including a speaker), and wireless charging. They sound very fun, too, with a full sound. At £10 off, I'd still advice most people to wait for AirPods Pro 2 to fall to £180 again, and pay the little amount more for even better sound and features – but if you want this kind of ear fit, this is the best price for these so far.